Caregiver Alliance Web Services™!

Frequently Asked Questions: About Health Care

My health records are fragmented, so what?

More Americans die each year from medical errors than from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer or AIDS. One in 30 gets sicker or dies each year due to an improperly prescribed medication. One in five gets inadequate care for a chronic illness or disability. One in five is an exhausted long-term family caregiver. With a lifetime of information scattered in the paper and electronic files of doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and insurance plans, even the healthiest consumers are sometimes sicker after a medical encounter than before.

Shouldn't my doctor make sure I have a comprehensive health record?

Fewer than 20 percent of physicians and hospitals have electronic health record systems (EHRs). Fewer than one percent of non-medical providers have EHRs. Most existing EHRs are fragmented and do not automatically exchange information with each other. The result is that no doctor can piece together and maintain a lifetime, comprehensive and accurate electronic record of a consumers health.

Shouldn't the federal government make sure I have a comprehensive health record?

Both Republicans and Democrats endorse the goal of a nationwide interoperable health information infrastructure by 2014. Many question when and how this goal will be achieved, given an estimated cost in the billion dollar range. The Smart PHR™ system is designed, operated, and upgraded (at no extra charge to subscribers), to keep pace with changes in health information technology and government regulations while insuring that consumers have exclusive control over their Smart PHR™s.

Frequently Asked Questions: About using the Smart PHR™

Do I need to download software to use the Smart PHR™?

No. The Smart PHR™ system is 100% Web-based. All you need is access to the Internet from an industry standard browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Macintosh Safari or Mozilla Firefox.

Do people I authorize as users on my Smart PHR™ pay a fee?

No. The users you authorize can access your PHR as often as they like, even at the same time, consistent with the privileges you granted them, with no fee or seat license.

What happens to my information if I stop my Smart PHR™ subscription?

You may download any data in your PHR and request that the account subscription be stopped and that the account be deleted from the system.

How do I get paper records into my Smart PHR™?

Use a scanner to create electronic files (e.g., PDF files) from paper documents and upload these files to your Smart PHR™.

How do I persuade my busy doctors to check information in my Smart PHR™?

Ask each doctor how he or she prefers to get your information: online, through automated data exchange with the doctors EHR, on a USB stick, or on paper. Then provide them with the option they prefer.

How do I learn to use my Smart PHR™?

If you can browse the Internet, you can use your Smart PHR™. Screen tips, a user manual, many demos, and customer support specialists are available to answer your questions.

How do I benefit from the Smart PHR™ systems use of open-source software?

The Smart PHR™ system is written in Java, interfacing with an open-source database on an open-source operating system. This architecture eliminates restrictions on system performance sometimes imposed by proprietary software and painfully experienced by users.